DNS Record Management Checklist for Outreach

DNS records are essential for email deliverability. Misconfigured records like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC can cause emails to land in spam or get rejected entirely. Properly setting up and maintaining these records improves inbox placement, boosts campaign success, and protects your sender reputation. Here's what you need to know:

• Use a separate domain for outreach to safeguard your primary domain.
• Set up key DNS records:
  • SPF: Authorizes servers to send emails on your behalf.
  • DKIM: Adds a digital signature to verify email integrity.
  • DMARC: Defines how to handle authentication failures.
• Verify DNS records with tools like MXToolbox or DMARCian to catch errors.
• Monitor and update regularly to avoid issues with outdated records or misconfigurations.
• Automate DNS setup with platforms like Primeforge to save time and reduce errors.

Skipping these steps risks damaging your sender reputation, which can take weeks or months to recover. For teams managing multiple domains, automation is a lifesaver, simplifying setup and maintenance while ensuring consistent configurations.

Pro Tip: Warm up new domains gradually and monitor key metrics like bounce rates (<2-3%) and spam complaints (<0.1%). Tools like Primeforge streamline the process by automating SPF, DKIM, DMARC, and tracking domain setups, ensuring strong deliverability from the start.

Setting Up Required DNS Records

Getting your DNS records right is crucial for email authentication. It ensures your emails land in inboxes rather than being flagged as spam.

Selecting Your Domain and DNS Provider

Avoid using your main business domain for cold outreach. This is a golden rule to protect your sender reputation. Sending cold emails from your primary domain - the one used for customer communication, support, and internal emails - can put your entire business at risk if deliverability issues arise.

Instead, register a separate domain or create a subdomain specifically for your outreach campaigns. For example, you might use something like mail.yourbrand.com. This keeps your main domain safe while allowing you to manage outreach effectively.

Using a dedicated domain also makes it easier to follow warm-up best practices, such as limiting each account to fewer than 50 emails daily. Plus, you can scale campaigns across multiple domains without jeopardizing your primary operations.

When choosing a domain provider, go with reliable options like Cloudflare, Namecheap, GoDaddy, or Google Domains. These services offer quick DNS propagation and support for key record types like A, MX, TXT, and CNAME.

To secure your domain, enable two-factor authentication and turn on registrar lock. These measures prevent unauthorized changes to your DNS settings, which could otherwise lead to email traffic redirection or harm your sender reputation.

Once you've set up your domain, it's time to configure the necessary DNS records.

Setting Up A, MX, SPF, DKIM, and DMARC Records

Each type of DNS record plays a role in ensuring email authentication and smooth delivery. Here's a breakdown:

• A Record: This links your domain to an IP address, establishing a credible online presence.
• MX Records: These direct incoming emails to your mail servers. Follow your provider's instructions - whether you're using Google Workspace or Microsoft 365. Remove outdated MX records to avoid delivery issues.
• SPF Record: This TXT record lists servers authorized to send emails on your behalf. For example, Google Workspace users should add: v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com ~all. Be mindful of the 10 DNS lookup limit when combining providers.
• DKIM Record: Adds a digital signature to outgoing emails, ensuring they remain untampered. Your provider will generate a DKIM key for you to add as a TXT or CNAME record. It typically looks like selector._domainkey.yourdomain.com. Afterward, enable DKIM signing in your provider's settings and verify it using email headers.
• DMARC Record: This policy tells receiving servers what to do if SPF or DKIM checks fail. Start with a monitoring policy like: v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:dmarc-reports@yourdomain.com.

For users managing multiple domains, platforms like Primeforge simplify the setup process. Primeforge automates the configuration of DMARC, SPF, DKIM, and custom tracking records, reducing the risk of errors and saving time.

Checking Your DNS Records

Once your records are configured, verify them to ensure they're published correctly. While DNS changes typically take a few hours to propagate, it can sometimes take up to 48 hours.

Here are some tools to help:

• MXToolbox (mxtoolbox.com): This free tool checks your MX, SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records, highlighting any errors or warnings.
• Google Admin Toolbox (toolbox.googleapps.com/apps/checkmx): Ideal for Google Workspace users, this tool provides detailed checks and explanations for MX and email authentication records.
• DMARCian: Use this to validate your DMARC record and catch any formatting issues.

For command-line users, these commands can help:

• nslookup -type=txt yourdomain.com for SPF
• nslookup -type=txt _dmarc.yourdomain.com for DMARC

When validating records, pay attention to these details:

• SPF: Ensure the record starts with v=spf1, lists all authorized servers, and ends with ~all or -all.
• DKIM: Verify the record exists at the correct subdomain and contains a public key starting with v=DKIM1.
• DMARC: Confirm the record begins with v=DMARC1, includes a policy (e.g., p=none, p=quarantine, or p=reject), and references a valid reporting email.
• MX: Ensure these point to your email provider's servers with the correct priorities.

If you're using Primeforge, these validation steps are automated. The platform ensures all records are correctly set up before marking a mailbox as ready, and their support team can assist with troubleshooting.

Double-check for typos, incorrect priorities, or missing details, as even minor errors can disrupt email authentication. Once everything is validated, allow at least 24 hours for DNS changes to propagate before starting your outreach campaigns. This ensures receiving servers can authenticate your emails without issues.

Advanced Email Authentication and Policy Settings

Once you’ve got the basics of DNS configuration down, it’s time to fine-tune your email authentication settings. This advanced setup not only strengthens your email deliverability but also builds on the foundational DNS practices we’ve already covered.

Improving SPF Records

To keep your SPF record effective, it needs to be concise, accurate, and within the required lookup limits.

SPF’s 10-DNS-lookup limit is non-negotiable. This hard cap applies to all include:, a:, mx:, and similar mechanisms. If you exceed it, your SPF record fails - even if everything else is perfectly formatted. This can hurt your email deliverability significantly.

Here’s how to stay within the limit:

• Audit regularly. Remove outdated entries for old services you no longer use. For instance, if you’ve switched email tools, delete any leftover include: statements tied to the previous provider.
• Use IP addresses when possible. Replace include: statements with ip4: or ip6: entries whenever your provider offers static IP ranges. For example, adding ip4:192.0.2.0/24 doesn’t use any lookups, while include:spf.provider.com might use two or three.
• Avoid duplicate SPF records. Publishing more than one SPF record for the same domain breaks authentication entirely. Instead, consolidate everything into a single record.

If you’re running multiple sending sources and nearing the lookup limit, consider splitting responsibilities across subdomains. For example, you could send transactional emails from mail.yourbrand.com and outreach emails from outreach.yourbrand.com, each with its own SPF record tailored to its purpose.

Finally, end your SPF record with either ~all (soft fail) or -all (hard fail). Use ~all during testing phases, but transition to -all once your setup is solid. Never use +all, as it effectively disables SPF protection and leaves your domain vulnerable.

Here’s an example of a clean SPF record for a U.S. business using Google Workspace and one outreach tool:

v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com include:spf.outreachtool.com -all

To ensure everything is in order, periodically check your SPF record with tools like MXToolbox or Dmarcian. If you hit warnings about too many lookups, it’s time to simplify.

Setting Up and Monitoring DMARC Policies

DMARC is your tool for visibility and control. It helps you see who’s sending emails using your domain and lets you specify how to handle authentication failures.

Start with a monitoring policy like this:

v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:dmarc-reports@yourdomain.com; ruf=mailto:dmarc-failures@yourdomain.com; pct=100

• p=none keeps you in observation mode, so no emails are blocked yet.
• rua sends aggregate reports, while ruf (optional) provides detailed failure reports. Use dedicated email addresses to manage these reports, as they often arrive as XML files.

Spend 4–8 weeks analyzing your DMARC reports. Look for patterns, such as which IP addresses are sending mail on your behalf, whether those sources pass SPF or DKIM, and if unauthorized traffic is trying to spoof your domain.

Alignment is key. DMARC requires either SPF or DKIM to pass and align with the visible "From" domain. If your outreach tool sends from outreach.yourbrand.com but authenticates via sendingservice.com, DMARC will fail even if SPF passes. Work with your providers to fix alignment issues.

Once you’ve reviewed the data, move gradually from p=none to stricter policies. Use the pct tag to apply changes incrementally - start with p=quarantine at 25%, then increase to 50%, 75%, and finally 100%. When everything is aligned, transition to p=reject for the strongest protection against spoofing.

For subdomains, use the sp= tag to set separate policies. For example, you might enforce p=reject on your primary domain but keep sp=quarantine on subdomains until they’re fully ready.

To make sense of the XML reports, use a DMARC report analyzer. These tools convert raw data into dashboards, showing top sending IPs, pass/fail rates, and alignment issues. This simplifies troubleshooting and helps you track progress.

Using Platforms with Automated DNS Setup

After perfecting your manual configurations, automation can save you time and reduce errors. Managing SPF, DKIM, and DMARC manually - especially across multiple domains - can be tedious and prone to mistakes. Automated platforms simplify this process.

Take Primeforge, for instance. It handles DNS setup for Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 mailboxes used in outreach. When you provision a mailbox, the platform automatically configures SPF, DKIM, DMARC, and custom tracking records according to industry standards.

"For each mailbox you buy with Primeforge, we take care of setting up DMARC, SPF, DKIM and custom domain tracking, following industry best practices."

Primeforge also supports bulk DNS updates, making it easy to manage dozens of mailboxes or domains simultaneously. This is especially handy when rotating DKIM keys, updating SPF records, or tweaking DMARC policies across your infrastructure.

Automation ensures consistency, too. When you’re managing multiple outreach domains, standardized configurations reduce the risk of errors. Primeforge even validates records before marking a mailbox as ready, catching issues that might otherwise go unnoticed.

For teams handling high-volume outreach, automated DNS setup provides a solid foundation. Instead of spending hours troubleshooting or worrying about DNS propagation, you can focus on strategy and messaging.

Primeforge’s setup process averages just 30 minutes per mailbox - much faster than the 24+ hours manual configurations often require. Plus, it offers U.S.-based IP addresses, which can improve deliverability for campaigns targeting American audiences.

If you’re comparing platforms, look for fully automated DNS setup as a key feature. While traditional mailbox resellers may offer partial automation, they often require manual intervention for advanced setups. Primeforge’s approach eliminates this hassle, making it an attractive option for teams that need efficiency and reliability.

Whether you choose to automate or stick with manual configurations, the goal remains the same: ensure SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are properly set up, aligned, and monitored. Automation just makes the process faster and more reliable, especially when scaling operations.

Regular DNS Maintenance and Monitoring

After setting up your DNS correctly, keeping up with regular maintenance is key to ensuring your emails continue to land where they should - inside inboxes.

Over time, DNS records can shift. Providers may update their IP ranges, DKIM keys might rotate, and duplicate SPF entries can sneak in. If these issues pile up unchecked, they can harm your email deliverability, especially as your campaigns grow.

For teams running cold outreach, staying on top of DNS maintenance is non-negotiable. U.S. spam filters and corporate email gateways are strict about SPF and DMARC alignment. A single misconfigured record could send your emails to spam or cause them to bounce - and you might not notice until response rates start to drop.

Regular Checks of SPF, DKIM, DMARC, and MX Records

How often should you check your DNS records? Weekly for teams managing multiple domains and monthly for smaller setups.

Here’s what to look for during these checks:

• SPF:
  • Make sure there’s only one SPF record per domain.
  • Confirm the syntax is correct and all current sending sources are included.
  • Ensure the SPF record doesn’t exceed lookup limits.
  • Remove outdated include: entries for services you no longer use.
• DKIM:
  • Check that DKIM keys are published correctly with the right selector, and remove old keys after rotations.
  • Test a few sent emails to verify the headers show "DKIM=pass."
• DMARC:
  • Ensure your DMARC policy (p=none, p=quarantine, or p=reject) matches your current risk tolerance.
  • Verify that reporting addresses (rua and ruf) are active and monitored.
  • Look for alignment issues between the "From" domain and the domains authenticated by SPF and DKIM.
• MX:
  • Confirm MX records point to the correct mail servers.
  • Remove outdated entries.
  • Check that MX priority values are properly set to route mail correctly.

Free tools like MXToolbox can simplify these checks by identifying errors or warnings in your DNS records. If you’re managing multiple domains, keeping a simple spreadsheet to log each domain and the date of its last review can help you stay organized.

Setting Up Monitoring Tools for Alerts

In addition to manual reviews, automated monitoring tools can provide real-time alerts to safeguard your DNS health.

Platforms like MXToolbox and DMARC analyzers are excellent for tracking DNS status, checking blacklist entries, and identifying authentication failures. For instance:

• MXToolbox: Offers free DNS lookups for SPF, MX, and blacklist checks. Paid plans provide alerts for changes or failures, starting at a reasonable monthly cost.
• DMARC analyzers (e.g., DMARCian, Postmark DMARC): Aggregate XML reports into dashboards, showing trends in authentication pass rates, identifying spikes in failures, and flagging alignment issues.

Set up alerts for critical metrics, such as:

• Blacklist status: Immediate notifications if your domain or IP is flagged on a spam blacklist.
• SPF/DKIM failures: Alerts for unusual spikes in authentication issues, which could signal a misconfiguration.
• DMARC violations: Warnings when unauthorized senders attempt to use your domain.

If you notice a sudden drop in open or reply rates, these tools can help you quickly pinpoint whether a DNS or authentication problem is to blame.

Keeping Records of DNS Changes

Tracking DNS changes is essential when troubleshooting deliverability problems. Use a shared log to document every update. Include the following details for each change:

• Date and time: Use U.S. formats like 10/21/2025 2:15 PM.
• Record modified: Specify whether it’s SPF, DKIM, DMARC, MX, etc.
• Old and new values: Record both for easy comparison.
• Reason for the change: For example, "Added new outreach tool to SPF" or "Rotated DKIM key for security."
• Person responsible: Note who made the change.

For teams managing multiple outreach domains, standardizing domain naming conventions (e.g., outreach1.yourbrand.com, outreach2.yourbrand.com) and using consistent SPF, DKIM, and DMARC templates can simplify bulk audits and reduce configuration errors.

Automated tools like Primeforge can streamline this process. Primeforge not only configures SPF, DKIM, DMARC, and tracking records automatically when you set up a mailbox, but it also allows bulk updates across multiple domains. This minimizes manual errors and ensures consistency - especially important for teams scaling cold outreach campaigns targeting U.S. audiences.

Best Practices for Cold Email Infrastructure

The technical setup behind your cold email campaigns plays a huge role in determining whether your emails land in inboxes or get flagged as spam. Successful teams follow a few key practices: gradually warming up domains, knowing when dedicated IPs are appropriate, and managing DNS configurations across multiple domains without creating chaos.

Warming Up New Domains Gradually

To build a good reputation with mailbox providers, it's important to warm up new domains slowly. Start by sending a small number of emails to engaged contacts, then gradually increase the volume over several weeks. Here's a sample warm-up schedule:

• Week 1: Send 10–20 emails per day to known contacts.
• Week 2: Increase to 20–30 emails per day.
• Week 3: Raise it to 30–40 emails per day.
• Week 4: Send 40–50 emails per day.
• Ongoing: Limit to 40–60 true cold emails per day per mailbox.

Automated warm-up tools can help by exchanging real emails within networks of inboxes, simulating engagement and increasing volume over time. Sending emails during typical business hours in your target time zone - like 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. - can further improve engagement and reputation.

Key metrics to watch during warm-up include bounce rates, spam complaints, open rates, and reply rates. Here are some benchmarks to aim for:

• Bounce rates: Below 2–3%.
• Spam complaints: Below 0.1–0.2%.
• Open rates: Above 30–40%.

If bounce rates exceed 5%, spam complaints rise, or open rates drop suddenly, pause your campaign to troubleshoot. Common issues include poor-quality email lists, overly aggressive sending, or content that triggers spam filters. And don’t forget: always use separate domains for cold outreach to protect your primary brand domain’s reputation.

As your email volume grows, you’ll need to evaluate your IP strategy.

Using Dedicated IPs and Reverse DNS

Dedicated IP addresses are useful when you're sending large volumes of emails consistently and have the expertise to manage their reputation. For small to mid-sized campaigns - sending a few thousand emails weekly - shared IPs from providers like Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 work well. These shared IPs already have strong reputations when used properly.

For larger-scale operations, where you’re sending tens of thousands of emails daily or managing multiple brands, dedicated IPs may be worth considering. However, they require careful warm-up schedules, strict list management, and consistent usage. Sporadic or low-volume use of dedicated IPs can hurt your deliverability.

Aspect	Shared IPs	Dedicated IPs
Reputation control	Shared with other senders	Fully tied to your sending behavior
Setup complexity	Low; handled by provider	Higher; requires warm-up and reverse DNS (rDNS) setup
Best for	Low to moderate volumes	High-volume campaigns or agencies

Reverse DNS (PTR) records are another critical piece of the puzzle. They ensure that each sending IP maps back to a hostname associated with your email infrastructure. This alignment helps mailbox providers verify your legitimacy as a sender. Missing or mismatched PTR records can lead to spam filters flagging your emails or outright rejections. You’ll likely need to work with your hosting provider or email platform to configure these records.

Platforms like Primeforge simplify this process by offering mailboxes pre-configured with U.S.-based IPs, which provide a solid starting point for deliverability. For teams needing more control, Infraforge (part of The Forge Stack) offers private email infrastructure with dedicated IPs and multi-IP setups for scaling outreach efforts.

Managing DNS across multiple domains is another challenge as your operations expand.

Managing DNS for Multiple Domains

If you’re running outreach campaigns across 5, 10, or even 20+ domains, manual DNS management can become a major bottleneck. Effective DNS management builds on the basics - SPF, DKIM, DMARC, and tracking records - but scales them across multiple domains efficiently.

Standardized domain naming conventions make life easier. For instance, you could use outreach1.yourbrand.com, outreach2.yourbrand.com, and so on. This approach simplifies audits and ensures consistent configurations.

Automated DNS management tools can save significant time and reduce errors. Platforms like Primeforge handle SPF, DKIM, DMARC, and tracking record setups automatically and allow bulk updates across domains. Here’s a quick comparison:

Aspect	Manual DNS Management	Automated DNS Platforms
Time per domain	15–30 minutes, with ongoing manual checks	Seconds, with bulk updates
Error risk	High; prone to typos and missed records	Low; standardized templates and automated validation
Scalability	Difficult beyond 5–10 domains	Ideal for managing 20+ domains

For teams managing multiple workspaces - such as different clients or campaigns - a centralized interface for domains, mailboxes, and DNS records can save hours of admin work each week. It also reduces the risk of "configuration drift", where some domains end up with outdated SPF or missing DMARC policies.

Lastly, custom tracking domains (e.g., trk.yourdomain.com) are a must. Shared tracking links from vendors can suffer from reputation issues caused by other senders. By setting up your own tracking domain with HTTPS and monitoring its reputation, you can avoid deliverability headaches.

Conclusion

Getting your DNS records right is a game-changer for cold email success. The difference between landing in inboxes versus spam often comes down to how well your email infrastructure is set up. A well-configured system can help you achieve open rates of 40% or more, while a poorly managed setup can leave your emails ignored in spam folders.

Key records like SPF, DKIM, DMARC, MX, and A records must be configured accurately from the start. These records act as proof of your legitimacy to mailbox providers. But the work doesn’t stop there - ongoing maintenance is just as important. Weekly checks, monitoring DMARC reports, and ensuring consistency across domains can help you keep bounce rates below 2–3% and spam complaints under 0.1–0.2%.

To safeguard your domain's reputation, implement DMARC policies that quarantine or reject suspicious emails, and keep SPF lookups under the limit of 10. These aren’t optional extras - they’re essential steps to prevent deliverability issues. Gradually warming up new domains - starting small with 10–20 emails a day and scaling up over weeks - also helps build a trustworthy reputation. While dedicated IPs can work well for high volumes when managed properly, shared IPs from platforms like Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 often deliver excellent results when configured correctly. For teams juggling multiple domains, automation can simplify DNS management and reduce the risk of errors.

Beyond technical configurations, smart outreach strategies can further protect your deliverability. Tools like Primeforge streamline the process by automating DNS setups and enabling bulk updates in seconds, saving what could otherwise take over 24 hours of manual work.

"Primeforge takes care of all the technical deliverability details - SPF, DKIM, DMARC, domain warm-up, and DNS records - without me needing to touch anything. The mailboxes come pre-configured with US-based IPs, which gives a strong deliverability baseline right out of the gate." – Dominique W., Verified User

For teams managing multiple campaigns or clients, this level of automation is invaluable for maintaining consistent deliverability without overwhelming your operations team.

The broader Forge Stack ecosystem - including tools like Salesforge for multi-channel outreach, Warmforge for automated warm-ups, and Infraforge for private infrastructure - offers a complete solution for those serious about email deliverability. These tools work seamlessly together, building on the DNS fundamentals to ensure your setup, warm-up schedules, and sending infrastructure are fully aligned.

While DNS management might seem complicated, the right tools and a clear checklist can make it manageable. The key is understanding why these records matter - they directly influence whether your emails lead to meetings or end up ignored. Commit to regular upkeep, and your systems will continue to deliver results.

Take action today: audit your DNS records with tools like MXToolbox or Google Admin Toolbox. Fix any misconfigured SPF, DKIM, or DMARC records, and set up alerts for DNS changes or DMARC failures. If you manage multiple domains, automation can save time and reduce errors. And when launching new domains, follow a proper warm-up process - there’s no shortcut to building a strong reputation.

FAQs

Why should I use a separate domain for cold email outreach instead of my main business domain?

Using a separate domain for cold email outreach is a smart way to safeguard your primary business domain's reputation. If your outreach emails happen to trigger spam filters or lead to complaints, it could harm the deliverability of all emails sent from your main domain - including vital business communications.

By keeping outreach activities on a dedicated domain, you can reduce the risk to your main brand while ensuring your primary email operations remain reliable. This strategy is especially important for businesses that depend on email for customer interactions and internal communications.

How can I make sure my SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records are set up correctly and stay within lookup limits?

To get your SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records set up correctly, it's crucial to stick to industry best practices and stay within the DNS lookup limit of 10. Going over this limit or making mistakes in configuration can cause serious email deliverability problems, especially when running cold outreach campaigns.

Primeforge takes the hassle out of this process with its automated DNS setup for SPF, DKIM, and DMARC. It helps you align with best practices and fine-tune your email infrastructure to boost deliverability. By automating these steps, Primeforge removes the guesswork and minimizes errors that could hurt the success of your campaigns.

What are the advantages of using automated tools like Primeforge to manage DNS records for email campaigns?

Managing DNS records can be a hassle, but tools like Primeforge make it much easier. They take care of essential configurations like DKIM, DMARC, and SPF automatically, ensuring everything aligns with industry standards. This automation not only saves you time but also reduces the chances of mistakes that could hurt your email deliverability.

On top of that, Primeforge simplifies bulk DNS updates and lets you manage multiple workspaces. This makes organizing and maintaining your email infrastructure for cold outreach campaigns far more efficient. The result? Less time spent on tedious tasks and more consistent campaign performance.

Related Blog Posts

• DNS Setup Tips for Multi-Workspace Campaigns
• DNS Setup Checklist for Cold Outreach
• DNS Setup Challenges in Cold Email Outreach
• How to Troubleshoot SPF, DKIM, and DMARC in Google Workspace